The present invention relates to a safety lockout device for use with various types of shut-off control devices, including switches or valves employed in a piping or electrical network to open and close the supply of a utility, such as natural gas, water or electrical service. One application, by way of example and not limitation, would be in urban areas, where a network supply valve is usually buried underground. In such situations, a device commonly referred to as a valve box or curb service box (hereinafter valve box) is employed in conjunction with the utility valve or switch. The box is made up of a vertically extending arrangement of interlocking components extending from ground level above the valve downwardly into a partly enveloping relation with the valve. The valve is constructed with a projecting stem that allows it to be operated by a special tool from above grade. The tool can be inserted through a hollow internal part of the valve box into a mechanically operable relation with the valve located several feet below.
In recent years, both as an industry concern and governmental insistence there has been an increased interest in providing safety lockout devices to prevent the valves from being inadvertently and/or by unauthorized acts opened after they have been closed, incident to an interest to inspect or perform work, etc. on the piping network, the safety reason for which is believed to be self evident.
A need exists for a safety lockout device operable with a diverse variety of shut-off control devices such as, for example, valve boxes and curb service box designs. Such boxes generally have a ring member situated at ground level mechanically combined to a subsurface top section by an interfitting connection. The present invention utilizes this interfitting connection as part of needed support for a safety lockout device.